Walter Camp Breakfast: Celebration Of High School Football, Past And Future

The Walter Camp Foundation held its annual "Breakfast of Champions" Saturday morning, celebrating a variety of football achievements from a variety of eras.

And in naming Ansonia running back Arkeel Newsome state player of the year, the foundation is also celebrating the future of Connecticut high school football. Newsome has already rewritten much of the record book and, as a sophomore, he's only halfway done.

"This is a pleasure," Newsome said after the ceremony at Anthony's Ocean View banquet facility. "It's an honor."

Newsome set state single-season records by rushing for 3,763 yards and 58 touchdowns, numbers even he is in awe of. He led Ansonia to its 17th state title — also a record — by rushing for 364 yards in a 38-0 victory over Ledyard in the Class M championship game, during which he passed previous record holder Alex Thomas, who had 3,596 for Ansonia in 2007. Thomas, who played at Yale, was in attendance.

Newsome gets a kick out of the numbers. He admits to watching his highlights frequently on YouTube. Major colleges are heavily recruiting him already. What could he do next year to possibly top this mind-boggling sophomore season?

"We knew he would be good," coach Tom Brock said. "We didn't know he was going to be greats. He's just going to keep working hard and keep getting better, year after year."

Masuk quarterback Casey Cochran and Hand receiver Nick Vitale, both seniors, were the other finalists. Cochran, who has graduated and will begin classes the University of Connecticut this week, is a two-time Gatorade player of the year winner.

Newsome, Cochran and Vitale were part of a 27-player All-Connecticut team that was introduced Saturday.

"During the season you're so focused with your teammates on preparing and playing well," Cochran said. "It's nice afterward to be able to look back and enjoy it with an award. There are so many good players in Connecticut. We don't really get the recognition [compared to other states]."

This weekend, however, Connecticut football has an opportunity to find the spotlight, as Walter Camp is holding All-American festivities for the 45th time. The weekend concluded with banquet Saturday night honoring, among others, national college player of the year Andrew Luck of Stanford.

At the breakfast, featured speakers included 1985 All-American David Fulcher of Arizona State, who went on to a Pro Bowl career with the Bengals, and 1996 All-American Dan Neil of Texas, who played eight years with the Broncos.

Connecticut's four high school state champions were honored: Xavier-Middletown (Class LL), Hand-Madison (L), Ansonia (M) and Holy Cross-Waterbury (S).

Steve Filippone of Hand was named coach of the year over finalists Sean Marinan (Xavier) and Tom Brockett (Ansonia).

"When I woke my wife up at 7:30 this morning, she told me, 'You better win,'" Filippone said, drawing laughter. "The men who coach football in the state of Connecticut, you have no idea what a difference you make every day in the lives of young men, what you do for your community. You are special people and it's an honor to be a part of it with you."

Larry McHugh, who posted a 152-36-6 record in 21 seasons as football coach at Xavier, and has since become the president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce and sits on the UConn board of trustees, was given the lifetime achievement award.

He also spoke of the pride involved with coaching high school football.

"Once a Falcon, always a Falcon," he said of Xavier's team name. "And once a coach, always a coach. You can never, ever change that."

Several of McHugh's former Xavier players from the 1960s and 1980s were in attendance — some of his former teammates, too.

"That's what football is," he said. "Fifty years later, my teammates and friends are still with me. That is so, so important. Life is not a day of championships. It is tremendous ups and tremendous downs, and you have to have people around you to pick you up and move forward."